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Quantum dissipation and the third law of thermodynamics

Gert Ingold (Augsburg - Alemanha)

The usual definition of thermodynamic quantities is based on the assumption of a very weak coupling between the system and its thermal environment. However, in particular in the nanometer regime, this approximation is not applicable so that one has to allow for a finite coupling between the system and its environment. It turns out that then thermodynamic quantities are no longer uniquely defined. Among the two approaches to be discussed, the one based on a reduced partition function may lead to a negative specific heat. We will discuss the origin of this effect and its physical meaning.